what does the bible say about killing yourself

February 18, 2026

If you’re asking this because you’re in pain or thinking about ending your life, you matter, and you need and deserve real‑life help and support right now. Please reach out to a trusted person (family, friend, pastor, counselor) and, if you’re in immediate danger, contact your local emergency number or a crisis line in your country as soon as you can.

Short answer

The Bible does not give a single verse that says “suicide” in so many words, but it treats your life as precious, created by God, and strongly opposes taking innocent human life—including your own. At the same time, it shows God’s compassion for people in deep despair and holds out hope, forgiveness, and help rather than condemnation for those who are suffering.

1. Does the Bible mention suicide?

The Bible records several stories of people who died by suicide, but it never praises their actions. Examples include King Saul (1 Samuel 31), Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23), and Judas Iscariot (Matthew 27:5), all presented in tragic, negative contexts rather than as role models.

These stories show that:

Suicide in Scripture is linked to despair, fear, guilt, or rebellion, not to faith and trust in God.

The narratives focus on the tragedy and consequences, not on suicide as an acceptable solution to suffering.

2. Why is taking your own life seen as wrong?

While the Bible does not have a verse that simply says “suicide is a sin,” it clearly teaches that human life is sacred and that murder is forbidden, which many Christians understand to include self‑murder.

Key ideas often cited:

Life is God’s gift
- God created human beings in His image, giving each person dignity and worth (Genesis 1:27 is frequently used to explain this principle).

* Passages like Psalm 139 speak of God forming each person in the womb and knowing their days, which Christians see as showing that life belongs to God, not us.

Murder is prohibited
- The commandment “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13) is often applied to taking one’s own life as well as another’s.

Your body and life belong to God
- Paul writes that believers’ bodies are “a temple of the Holy Spirit” and that they are “not [their] own,” but “bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20), so they should glorify God in their bodies.

* Romans 14:7–8 says none of us lives or dies to ourselves, but to the Lord, reinforcing that life and death are under God’s authority.

From these themes, most Christian teaching concludes that deliberately ending one’s own life goes against God’s design and command to honor and protect life.

3. What about people who feel suicidal?

The Bible is very honest about overwhelming sorrow, despair, and even wishing for death, and this is important if you feel like “the Bible can’t understand what I’m going through.”

Examples:

Job cursed the day he was born and longed for death because of intense suffering (Job 3:20–23).

Some psalms describe souls “in the depths,” weeping through the night, and feeling forgotten or crushed. Passages like Psalm 30:5 (“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”) are used to show that God can bring hope after deep darkness.

These passages do not encourage suicide; instead, they:

Validate how crushing pain can feel.

Model pouring out anguish honestly before God while still leaving the door open for Him to act and bring help.

Many Christian counselors and pastors emphasize that feeling suicidal is a mental, emotional, or spiritual crisis that needs compassionate care, not shame. They encourage:

Seeking professional help (doctors, therapists, crisis services).

Reaching out to church communities, trusted friends, or family for support and prayer.

4. Is suicide the “unforgivable sin”?

A common fear is that anyone who dies by suicide is automatically lost forever. Many mainstream Christian teachers say the Bible does not support that idea.

Points often made:

The “unforgivable sin” mentioned by Jesus is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, not suicide.

Salvation is grounded in God’s grace through faith in Christ, not in having a perfect record of never committing a serious sin. Passages such as Romans 8:38–39 are used to emphasize that nothing, including death, can separate believers from the love of God in Christ.

Because only God knows a person’s heart in their final moments, many Christian traditions refuse to make blanket statements about the eternal fate of anyone who dies by suicide, and instead entrust them to God’s mercy.

At the same time, pastors and Christian mental‑health professionals stress that this is never a reason to treat suicide lightly; it is a grave, tragic act that causes deep harm to the person and all who love them.

5. What hope does the Bible offer instead?

Christian articles responding to suicidal thoughts highlight that the Bible not only warns against taking your life but offers real hope, comfort, and reasons to keep going.

Common themes and verses:

God has a future for you
- Jeremiah 29:11 speaks of God’s plans “for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope,” and is often shared with those who feel their story is over.

* Isaiah 41:10 urges, “Fear not, for I am with you… I will strengthen you, I will help you,” emphasizing God’s presence in fear and weakness.

God cares about your pain
- 1 Peter 5:7 invites believers to cast all their cares on God “for He cares for you,” a verse repeatedly used in Christian counseling resources for people with depression or anxiety.

* Jesus’ words, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), are central to Christian comfort for the exhausted and overwhelmed.

You are not alone
- Romans 8:38–39 insists that no power, not even death or anything in all creation, can separate believers from God’s love in Christ.

* Christian suicide‑prevention materials describe practical steps—safety plans, crisis contacts, honest conversations—that reflect God working through community and care, not isolation.

Many Christian writers in recent years (including pastors, theologians, and Christian psychiatrists) explicitly connect biblical hope with modern suicide‑prevention efforts, urging churches and believers to take mental health seriously and fight stigma.

If this question is personal rather than theoretical, you are not alone, and this moment doesn’t have to be the end of your story. From a biblical perspective, your life is of immense value, your pain is seen by God, and there are people who want to help you carry it. Please consider reaching out today to a crisis hotline, doctor, counselor, pastor, or someone you trust and tell them honestly how you’re feeling.